OverNover
17-07-2011, 09:33 PM
Hi Guys,
Fished the Bribie ABT Flathead round today with my good Mate Stu. We had little expectations other than to try a few new techniques and lures before the GC Flathead Classic in late September. We arrived to the tent 1st so got keytag number 1, having never fished the area before, our plans were based on Google Earth, You Tube and past Ausfish reports!!!! We cruised straight up to the wreck out the front of Ningi Creek, I hooked up to a 36cm model in the 1st 5 minutes, whilst I was photographing that pup, Stuey nailed a horse of a Tailor on an Exude soft plastic, needless to say our confidence was up and we were in for a top day..................................or so we thought. :(
With masses of snot weed building up, I soon gave up on the blade, we tried a few spots all to no avail, at around 11:30, finally scored a 26cm Flattie on a bank between Ningi & Bullock Cks, fair dinkum, it's mouth was still round from suckin on it's mommas titties!!!!!! But, in ABT comps, it scores so we reluctantly wasted 3 minutes measuring & photographing it before giving it a stern talking to and releasing it. We runned & gunned for a bit, headed up Bullock Ck which looked really fishy but not a tap, then headed out the front, same deal, time was running out, we even contemplated heading in to Pacific Harbour to chase some Bream at one point!!!!
We were half heartedly heading back to the harbour when Stuey said, "lets just run that bank from the Bridge back to the Harbour", so off we went. 1st cast in on the bank and Stuey comes up solid.........to a snag!!!! Gets that off and we carry on, on probably my 3rd or 4th cast, I drop my Z-man 3" minnow hard up under a mangrove tree, before I've even engaged the reel, I feel a solid 'tick' through the braid, I lift the rod tip and there's solid weight but that's it! I give it another hit and start winding, then it awakens!!! It took off like a freight train, I picked it for a Trevally due to the speed it took off, then I got a look at it and it was big and brown NOT silver, could it be????? With the 30 minute to go alarm on my phone going off tap, the chase commenced, this thing was on a mission, stripping line off the little Okuma baitcaster then sounding and just sitting on the bottom, then I'd pry it up and off we'd go again, was it a ray??? After about the 3rd time this happened, it completely changed direction and I managed to get it's head up and we got our 1st look at what was a monster lizard!!! The heart beat ramped up and the legs got wobbly, now we'd seen her we were even more stressed about all the things that could go wrong, after about 10 minutes of Stuey chasing it with the leccy (on hands and knees, using his hand with the net in the other), I said to Stuey, that's it, this leader ain't gonna last much longer, as soon as we get her head up, have a shot with the net, we thought we had her, she saw the boat and hared off again, after two more of those, she was about 3 foot down and in view, gave a massive head shake, I raised the rod and Stuey nailed the net shot!!! High 5's all round, I had to sit down for a bit!!!! We ended up forth and I took out biggest Flathead, absolutely stoked, bring on the Gold Coast round!!!! Big Thanx to Stuey, couldn't have done it without you, you're the Man!!! Photos attached, Cheers, Jamie.
PS - I've made an appointment at the doctors on Friday to have that smile surgically removed!!!!;D
693046930569306
Fished the Bribie ABT Flathead round today with my good Mate Stu. We had little expectations other than to try a few new techniques and lures before the GC Flathead Classic in late September. We arrived to the tent 1st so got keytag number 1, having never fished the area before, our plans were based on Google Earth, You Tube and past Ausfish reports!!!! We cruised straight up to the wreck out the front of Ningi Creek, I hooked up to a 36cm model in the 1st 5 minutes, whilst I was photographing that pup, Stuey nailed a horse of a Tailor on an Exude soft plastic, needless to say our confidence was up and we were in for a top day..................................or so we thought. :(
With masses of snot weed building up, I soon gave up on the blade, we tried a few spots all to no avail, at around 11:30, finally scored a 26cm Flattie on a bank between Ningi & Bullock Cks, fair dinkum, it's mouth was still round from suckin on it's mommas titties!!!!!! But, in ABT comps, it scores so we reluctantly wasted 3 minutes measuring & photographing it before giving it a stern talking to and releasing it. We runned & gunned for a bit, headed up Bullock Ck which looked really fishy but not a tap, then headed out the front, same deal, time was running out, we even contemplated heading in to Pacific Harbour to chase some Bream at one point!!!!
We were half heartedly heading back to the harbour when Stuey said, "lets just run that bank from the Bridge back to the Harbour", so off we went. 1st cast in on the bank and Stuey comes up solid.........to a snag!!!! Gets that off and we carry on, on probably my 3rd or 4th cast, I drop my Z-man 3" minnow hard up under a mangrove tree, before I've even engaged the reel, I feel a solid 'tick' through the braid, I lift the rod tip and there's solid weight but that's it! I give it another hit and start winding, then it awakens!!! It took off like a freight train, I picked it for a Trevally due to the speed it took off, then I got a look at it and it was big and brown NOT silver, could it be????? With the 30 minute to go alarm on my phone going off tap, the chase commenced, this thing was on a mission, stripping line off the little Okuma baitcaster then sounding and just sitting on the bottom, then I'd pry it up and off we'd go again, was it a ray??? After about the 3rd time this happened, it completely changed direction and I managed to get it's head up and we got our 1st look at what was a monster lizard!!! The heart beat ramped up and the legs got wobbly, now we'd seen her we were even more stressed about all the things that could go wrong, after about 10 minutes of Stuey chasing it with the leccy (on hands and knees, using his hand with the net in the other), I said to Stuey, that's it, this leader ain't gonna last much longer, as soon as we get her head up, have a shot with the net, we thought we had her, she saw the boat and hared off again, after two more of those, she was about 3 foot down and in view, gave a massive head shake, I raised the rod and Stuey nailed the net shot!!! High 5's all round, I had to sit down for a bit!!!! We ended up forth and I took out biggest Flathead, absolutely stoked, bring on the Gold Coast round!!!! Big Thanx to Stuey, couldn't have done it without you, you're the Man!!! Photos attached, Cheers, Jamie.
PS - I've made an appointment at the doctors on Friday to have that smile surgically removed!!!!;D
693046930569306